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Writing A Character... Chronic Illness

How to write a character with a chronic illness

Chronic Illnesses are complex in the real life, let alone when you try to get it down on paper. This chapter is all about how to get your head around creating a character with a chronic illness.

The first thing to think about is the type of chronic illness your character has, is it one that means they have a physically normal life but needs daily medication, like type 1 Diabetes, or is it one that causes them daily pain and there is no medication for? Like Ehlers Danlos syndrome or Fibromyalgia.

It is important to remember that there are many types of chronic illnesses-

(If you can think of any, comment here!)

-and that the same one can also effect different people in diverse ways. In any disease or illness there is a spectrum, which is why two people with the same illness can be completely different, not only in their symptoms (which vary from person to person) but also in their physical capabilities.

So, to try and help you get your head around it... let's build a character! 

You can play along in the comments with your own character if you like!

We will call him Mark, he is 28 with black hair and green eyes, his skin is pale.

Why is his skin pale? Is it because he doesn't go out much?

Or is it because it is a symptom of his illness?

Mark is also popular, and lives in California. He is also painter. So, he gets out the house a lot and into sunshine- not an indoor person, so It makes sense then that his skin is pale because of his illness.

What illness can make someone's skin pale?

Mark has Anaemia, a chronic illness that most people who have it, don't realise they have it.

Anaemia is a deficiency of red blood cells in your blood, so there aren't enough of them to do their job in your body- help organs function properly.

It is mostly diagnosed in women and children, which is why Mark hasn't gone to the doctors- why would he? He probably needs to sleep more and to do more exercise and eat better, instead of eating junk food at his easel so he can paint more.

He is also stressed with a new gallery opening that he is being featured in, so it's probably that which is what is making him tired and giving him headaches.

Symptoms of Anaemia are pale skin, insomnia, headaches, leg cramps, difficulty concentrating and dizziness.

Our character, Mark, is showing all the signs of a chronic illness. If you can describe all the symptoms, weave them into his daily narrative, the way he interacts with people and the world around him, then you don't need to say he has anaemia. If Mark doesn't know, neither should the audience. If Mark does go to the Doctors, make it a learning experience for both him as a character and the reader.

But what about a character who is aware they have an illness? Let's make another character with a twist!

Jada is 14 years old, and a Merchants daughter in a fantasy land. She often falls ill for extended periods of time, meaning she can't be left alone at home while her only parent, her father, goes away to sea.

Her body seems to attack itself, she gets easily tired and her joints are in a lot of pain.

Her father's crew clubbed together and made her a wheelchair/flying contraption to give her freedom when they dock in new countries.

Jada has Juvenile Lupus. Every system of the body- brain, lungs, heart, kidneys, blood vessels etc. can be attacked, and she often gets rashes, fevers and her hair falls out, which she isn't too bothered about as she doesn't like her mousey brown hair. Her tanned skin also changes colour sometimes, because she can't regulate the cold very well.

With her best friend, Toddy, a 14-year-old deck boy, they go on adventures into secret lands through mysterious sea portals!

Writing a character with a disability shouldn't automatically make that illness the main plot point of the story. It could be a side plot the character struggles with, but there needs to be a bigger picture. Outline the illness as you would when you form the character, alongside their personality, appearance and back story. 

Make it apart of who they are.